Close to 20,000 cases of students vaping in schools were reported last year, the Dewan Rakyat was told on Tuesday (Feb 4).
Responding to Roslan Hashim (PN-Kulim Bandar Baharu), who inquired about the Education Ministry’s efforts to curb vaping among students, Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh revealed that 19,450 students were caught vaping in 2023—almost seven times the 3,704 cases of students caught smoking.
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Responding to Roslan Hashim (PN-Kulim Bandar Baharu), who inquired about the Education Ministry’s efforts to curb vaping among students, Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh revealed that 19,450 students were caught vaping in 2023—almost seven times the 3,704 cases of students caught smoking.
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NewsTranscript
00:00The Malaysian Ministry of Education always pays serious attention to the issue of e-cigarette smuggling
00:08among students, due to the negative impact on their health and on the development of their education.
00:14The KPMU is committed to handling e-cigarette smuggling through comprehensive approach,
00:20involving strengthening the government, education, prevention and strategic cooperation with various parties.
00:27The effort to strengthen the government to prevent e-cigarette smuggling has begun since 2015.
00:34The KPMU has issued a 17th Announcement Letter in 2015,
00:39which prohibits the use of e-cigarette in schools.
00:43Students who violate this ban will be subjected to disciplinary action,
00:47including school detention for no more than 14 days.
00:52The KPMU always reminds the Ministry of State Education, the Ministry of Regional Education and Schools
00:58to comply with the regulations and regulations in force.
01:02The KPMU also believes that the most effective effort to control e-cigarette smuggling is through education,
01:09prevention such as drug prevention education programs.
01:12This program is carried out through curriculum, co-curriculum and student development activities.
01:18Students are exposed to the dangers of e-cigarette and vaping,
01:21as well as trained to be assistants to help students avoid the negative path.
01:28For your information, in addition to drug prevention education programs,
01:33the KPMU also carries out several other programs,
01:36including anti-drug planning schemes, 5-minute anti-smoking and vaping programs,
01:41anti-drug junior clubs, and anti-smoking health campaign.
01:46All these programs and activities are designed to apply the value of awareness and students' understanding
01:52about the dangers of e-cigarette and vaping, as well as to form a superior self-esteem.
01:57At the same time, students are also trained as assistants to help teachers in conveying information
02:04and to be a guide to their classmates,
02:07so that classmates are not involved in the negative path such as e-cigarette smuggling or vaping.
02:15As a motivation, the involvement of school staff and students as assistants is given recognition and appreciation
02:22in the National Assistants Development Awards.
02:27The KPMU also believes that efforts to address the problem of e-cigarette and vaping in students
02:33will be more effective through strategic cooperation with various parties.
02:38In connection with this, the KPMU has always been in close cooperation with the police in Raja Malaysia
02:44through school-to-school relationships.
02:50The Malaysian Health Agency, the National Anti-Drug Agency, PDRM,
02:54and the Malaysian Association for the Prevention of Drug Abuse
02:56have also become a strategic partner of the KPMU
02:59through the National Aspirational Junior Youth Programme,
03:02which focuses on students who are at risk.
03:04This programme is implemented throughout Malaysia
03:07with the aim of providing awareness and prevention through activities such as lectures, forums, quizzes,
03:13demonstrations on the dangers of e-cigarettes or vaping.
03:17We believe that cooperation between the KPMU, the National Association for the Prevention of Drug Abuse,
03:21and strategic partners can help the KPMU in addressing the current issues.
03:38Whatever efforts have been made, I hope it can reduce the impact of vaping on students.
03:47According to the study conducted by Pak Tani Betul or not,
03:5214.9% of students aged 13 to 17 years are involved in vaping.
04:02So, I would like to know from the Ministry,
04:05is the current number of students involved in vaping,
04:09and also to the Ministry,
04:13where recently,
04:16Magic Mushroom was identified by the ADK as a synthetic weed
04:21that is processed in liquid form
04:24and through e-cigarettes or vaping.
04:28On the other hand, is the KPMU also using agencies such as the ADK
04:39to intensify the use of vaping in schools?
04:44Is vaping also derived from the teachers in the schools who practice vaping?
04:53Honourable Minister.
04:55Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Honourable Minister.
04:58I would like to answer the second part of the question.
05:01It is related to vaping,
05:05which is a type of Magic Mushroom.
05:09For the KPMU, as I stated in our press release in 2015,
05:15it is clear that all types of vaping are prohibited at the same time in the school premises.
05:21That is one of the guidelines and also a policy that has been used up until now.
05:29All types of vaping, regardless of the type, are prohibited at the same time.
05:34That is one.
05:35And the prohibition is not only against the students,
05:37but also to all teachers in the school,
05:43and also at the same time to all those who are in the school,
05:47including campaigners and others.
05:50And I believe that the guidelines and also the press release that is available
05:55is very complete to address the issue that is being faced now.
06:01The first question was about statistics.
06:04I can give a little statistics here.
06:07If we compare the issue of smoking in school or vaping in school,
06:14we have two, according to the SSTM data that was reported.
06:19For smoking, it recorded a decline,
06:24that is in 2024, the number of vaping was reported to be 3,704 people
06:32equal to 0.07% of the total number of vaping.
06:38And for vaping, we do not deny that it indicates an increasing trend,
06:45that is in 2024, the number of vaping was reported to be 19,450 people.
06:54And this makes it 0.38% of the total number of vaping under the SSTM that we have.
07:05And for all the cases that I mentioned here,
07:08it can be seen that the trend for vaping students is related to the decline in smoking,
07:14but for vaping, it is increasing.
07:17For all the cases that have been reported,
07:19the KPMG, through the school and the PPD,
07:22has taken action against the students who have been reported,
07:25by providing guidance to the authorities and also the press release that is available.
07:34And here, I have the opportunity to ask for cooperation from all parties,
07:38including the community and parents,
07:41to help the KPMG to raise awareness
07:46on the dangers of vaping against our children.
07:53Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
07:57Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
07:59My question is related to...
08:03Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
08:05My question is related to e-cigarettes.
08:08We see that the students will take it after school.
08:14If we go to Tinjau, they will gather at the bus stop and smoke e-cigarettes.
08:23So, in this issue, will the Ministry of Education
08:27advise the Ministry of Health
08:30to ban e-cigarettes?
08:34Considering that the Ministry of Health has issued a statement that they will investigate.
08:39How is the cooperation between the Ministry of Education,
08:43the PPD and the Ministry of Health
08:46to solve the problem of students taking e-cigarettes?
08:51Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
08:55Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
08:56Thank you for the additional question from the Honourable Mayor of Melaka
09:00who is very concerned about this issue.
09:03In terms of violence outside the school premises,
09:07this is under the jurisdiction of the PPD
09:13or the Ministry of Health of Malaysia.
09:16What I reported earlier is an action that we can take
09:21when it happens in the school.
09:25But whatever it is, we have discussed within the Ministry of Education of Malaysia
09:31where the Ministry of Education of Malaysia will provide data
09:36about the number of students who are infected
09:43with e-cigarettes or e-cigarettes.
09:48This data will be submitted to the Ministry of Health of Malaysia
09:52so that the Ministry of Health of Malaysia can take it.
09:58Earlier, there was a suggestion to ban e-cigarettes or not
10:03so that the Ministry of Health of Malaysia can make a better decision
10:08depending on the scientific data that we submit to the Ministry of Health of Malaysia.
10:15In any case, the well-being and well-being of our students
10:22is a paramount consideration for the Ministry of Education of Malaysia with permission.
10:26The Ministry of Education of Malaysia is always ready to cooperate
10:29and provide any information that is needed
10:32by the Ministry of Health of Malaysia in the implementation of the law.